Homecare 2000 Ltd

Homecare 2000 is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the community. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of this inspection, 33 people were receiving personal care from the service. People who use the service live in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham.

People's experience of using this service and what we found

People and their relatives told us they were very happy with the service they received. Comments included, “I’m very lucky to have them” and “They’re just amazing.” People benefited from a small, consistent team of staff who knew them well. People told us they had developed positive, caring relationships with their regular staff.

People felt safe and comfortable when staff visited them in their home. People were kept safe as potential risks had been assessed and managed. A relative told us they felt confident to leave the house when staff were present, as they knew their loved one was safe.

People's needs were met by staff who had received regular training and support. Staff had opportunities for regular supervision and told us they were very well supported and valued in their role.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People received a personalised service to meet their specific needs, preferences and wishes. The provider was passionate about making a difference to people's lives and committed to promoting a caring culture throughout the service. People were involved in making decisions about their care and encouraged to maintain their independence. People were treated with dignity and respect in a way that valued them as individuals.

People and their relatives told us the service continued to be well managed. Comments included, “The best agency I’ve ever had, they’re very professional” and “I’m very pleased with everything.” The provider continually looked for ways to improve and was working with commissioners to focus on initiatives to drive improvement and provide high quality care.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 31 August 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We visited the office on 2 August 2017. We carried out phone calls and home visits to people who used the service and their relatives on 3 August 2017. We returned to the office on 9 August 2017 to meet with the registered manager and training manager/supervisor, as they were on leave on the first day of our inspection. At the time of this announced inspection 60 people were receiving personal care from the service. The service had moved offices and this was the first inspection at this location.

People were pleased with the way staff treated them. Each person and relative we spoke with told us care staff were kind, caring and compassionate. Comments included “If I needed looking after, they’d be looking after me;” “It’s so nice to see them, I get to hear a bit of news;” and “I get on very well with all of them.”

Staff spoke about the people they cared for with compassion and concern. People told us staff were respectful and polite. We saw staff and people interact in a friendly way. People were pleased to see the staff. Staff knew people well and chatted with them with warmth. Staff checked if they could do anything else for people before leaving.

People told us they felt safe and comfortable when staff were in their home and when they received care. People told us "I feel completely safe" and "I don’t need to worry about anything." Staff knew how to recognise signs of potential abuse and understood how to report any concerns in line with the service's safeguarding policy.

Safe staff recruitment procedures were in place. This helped reduce the risk of the provider employing a person who may be a risk to people. People told us staff knew how to meet their needs. One person said “They know what I like.” Staff told us they were happy with the training they received. Staff told us they felt well supported and had regular opportunities to discuss their work.

Care plans were developed with each person. They described the support the person needed to manage their day to day health needs. Staff were able to tell us how they supported people. We saw staff responded to people's requests, met their needs appropriately, and knew how they liked things to be done.

People told us staff were usually on time and had time to meet their needs in the way they wanted. People were provided with a copy of the staff rota so they knew who was due to visit them. Staff told us they had enough time to travel between visits.

Risk assessments had been undertaken for each person. We saw risk assessments had been carried out in relation to nutrition, skin care, and mobility. Risk assessments relating to each person's home environment had been completed. Where concerns were identified, action had been taken to reduce the risks to people.

People were supported safely with their medicines and told us they were happy with the support they received. Staff completed medication administration record (MAR) sheets after giving people their medicines. The MAR sheets were audited to ensure people had received their medicines as prescribed to promote good health.

The service sought regular feedback. People told us they were asked for feedback over the phone, during visits and care plan reviews.

People and their relatives felt able to raise concerns or make a complaint. They were confident their concerns would be taken seriously. People told us they didn't have any complaints. Comments included "I’ve nothing to complain about;" "l would be able to pick up the phone and talk to them." One person said when they had raised something with the office, they dealt with it straight away.

People told us the management were approachable and they were happy with the service. Comments included “They’re brilliant;” “I always get a response” and “It’s all very good, nothing could be better.” Staff told us they found the management team approachable and supportive. They told us they received regular support and advice via phone calls and during face to face meetings. They said “The door is always open” and “They’ve been brilliant, really supportive.”

The registered manager and provider were keen to develop and improve the service. They kept up-to-date with best practice and met up with other care providers to share good practice. The managing director had been asked to be the Chair of the Devon Provider’s Association. Records were clear, well organised and up-to-date. An audit system was in place to monitor the quality of the service. Unannounced checks to observe staff's competency were carried out on a regular basis.